You see them quietly in the background near celebrities and executives. Men and women wear dark suits, sunglasses, and a stern look. These are members of a professional dignitary protection team, and they serve to protect their clients. For the elite, executive protection is generally an accepted part of everyday life. For the rest of the world, though, the cost of having even one EP agent watching over them would eliminate it as a possibility. There is an option, however, when your budget does not quite allow for 24-hour protection. You can be your own bodyguard! While there is nothing as comforting as knowing that a team of professionals has your back, there are things we can do inside the “EP” realm to better protect ourselves. Let’s examine some basic principles of close protection and how we can apply them.

With Training and Mindset – You can be Your Own Bodyguard

“Keep your eyes open” sounds like a tired cliché, yet it is rule number one in EP club. Awareness is the key to avoiding problems before they ever develop. A good protection team will do everything possible to avoid any problem areas and potential conflicts to better protect their clients. Awareness at this level can be exhausting to begin with. You need to look all around you to see everyone and everything. You will be looking for several things. First and foremost are problems. Is there an angry mob forming down the block? Perhaps a clown with an RPG on a roof?

Scan for Problems

These things stick out. Well, they would stick out to anyone. You must see the man in the parked car half a block away to be good at awareness. He has been sitting there for 20 minutes and looks agitated. You need to see the woman walking towards you with her hand in her purse as if she is grasping for something. You need to see into the shadows of everyday life. This is where danger lurks. One specific skill lies in watching the hands. The hands will be the mechanism that will drive hostile action towards you, be it a closed fist, a gun, or any other type of weapon. When people approach you, and they are concealing their hands, an alarm should be going off in your head. Now would be a good time to put distance between you and the approaching person.

Have at Least Two Ways Out

When you walk into any building, you should have at least two options for getting out. While the front door may be obvious, it is also obvious to someone who may be a threat. If a shooter comes in, it will likely be through the front door. Most commercial establishments have additional exits but will be filled with panicked people should something happen. Search deeper into the establishment. If it is a restaurant or a club, walk back into the kitchen to see if there is an exit. If you are questioned, just ask for directions to the restroom. In that brief moment, you got a good look at the kitchen, the exit in the back, the staff, and other layout details. It is this type of behavior that separates the predator from the prey. 

We are all equipped with an internal danger meter. Some are more developed than others, while many just ignore them. If you feel that something is not right or potentially dangerous, then treat it like it is. Many times, people rationalize these feelings away with catastrophic consequences. Listen to that little voice that says, get out of here. In that same vein, do not hesitate to engage someone who may be dangerous. If someone is approaching you and you feel threatened, tell them to stop. This will be a litmus test of sorts. If they are harmless, they will stop short, and you will share a brief awkward moment as you laugh it off. If they do not stop, however, your sense is correct, and you now have a greater opportunity to escape or deal with the threat.

Learn How to Use Your Hands

To be a good protective agent, you need to effectively defend yourself. This begins first with open-hand defense. Some countless schools and systems offer “the best” training. Regardless of your chosen path, you need to understand that we don’t fight. Now calm down there, and let’s clarify what that means. Generally, a fight is a give-and-take between two adversaries. The more skilled, bigger, or stronger person will be the victor. We do not have time for any give and take. Furthermore, in a give-and-take scenario, you increase your chances of severe injury.

The combative techniques used in EP are fast, painful, and debilitating. If you decide that physical action is needed, you attack the subject with speed, surprise, and violence. At the moment they are down, you exit the area. There is no “finish” or waiting for more. A rule to remember is that dirtbags almost always travel in pairs. You may have taken out number one, but number two is not far behind. The second it is safe to do so, you call 911 and tell them you were attacked and are fleeing the scene for your safety. Tell them where they will be able to find you and wait for them to arrive. 

Carry a Gun

In a dangerous world, there is a real need for a gun. However, we must train ourselves to meet exceptional standards. An equally appropriate quote comes from the great Jeff Copper, “Owning a handgun doesn’t make you armed any more than owning a guitar makes you a musician.” If you choose to carry a defensive firearm, then you must master its’ use. Seek professional training and then do it again. Shooting is a perishable skill, and you are setting yourself up for disaster by infrequently training. If the black flag is ever raised on your watch, there is a very high probability that there will be innocent civilians everywhere around you. A panicked shot or sloppy presentation can end the life of a person standing nearby. The judicious and focused use of a firearm is essential.  

Driving will now take on an entirely different feel. You will now be playing chess with the cars around you. Do your best not to get boxed in as you drive in traffic. At any point in time, you should be able to swerve hard and cut across lanes. This positioning is important in slow traffic as well. When you approach a stop light, give yourself at least one car length in front of you if you need to drive out. Focus on staying in the right or left lane, which helps keep you in the open.

Offensive Driving

If you are stopped in traffic and danger appears, you must exit the area as quickly as possible. This may mean that you drive on the grass or down the shoulder. The regular rules of the road are ignored as you may be fleeing for your life. This is a good time to encourage you to take exceptional care of your vehicle. Ensure the tires are in good shape, the engine is working properly, and you always have at least half a gas tank. This will give you a solid vehicle to use as an escape tool. 

You are Your Own First Responder

Those who train in the executive protection arena see the world in a different light. These professionals mustered the courage to look over the edge of humanity and see what its’ dark underbelly really looks like. Once you understand the dangers that lurk in our world, you will never be the same. A rule is that one in every 25 people is psychopathic and has no conscience whatsoever. These are people who can stab a child with no remorse. Over 100,000 dangerous people would be placed on the city streets in a major metropolitan area such as New York. By being your own bodyguard, you must do your soul-searching and make the decision to take your protection into your own hands.

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